Wearable technology and in-game decision making

November 9, 2018 /
Photo: SOLIDShot

{Sponsored} When a coach is putting together a scouting report or game strategy, they’re analyzing various player and team statistics to develop a plan. Stats found in scouting reports can help a coach put together a strategy before a game. But what about during a game? Some coaches are looking to advanced statistics like expected possession value (EPV) for decision-making during a game.

Expected possession value is an APBRmetric (Association for Professional Basketball Research Metrics) focused on decision-making and creating opportunities. Using technology like video or player tracking data, for each moment of a possession a value is assigned to each of the individual moves a player can make, allowing analysts to evaluate each decision that a player makes.

FastModel Sports currently provides play diagramming and scouting report software for all levels of play. David Caldwell, marketing director at FastModel, weighed in on the future of wearable technology and how the data it tracks can be integrated into scouting reports.

“We got the diagram; we know where everyone should be and as soon as you layer shot tracking over the diagram you also know percentages and you know habits when it comes to scoring turnovers or any metric that’s there,” Caldwell said. “Once you have those two layers that’s all you need to create this EPV model.”

In the future, coaches will be able to leverage expected possession value to make better informed decisions, Caldwell said. The technology used during games and real-time data pulled from wearables or other data-tracking tools will all work together to provide coaches with insight needed to make the best call.

Wearable technology, like sleeves or wraps with sensors, is one method of tracking player statistics in real-time. Another example is video that tracks movement to produce metrics for jump height, speed or other motion. As wearable technology advances, these technologies could work together by feeding information into one application, along with data already included in scouting reports. Having all this data in real-time could help coaches make better informed decisions between plays. This data could also show coaches the potential outcomes or opportunities based on each call that could be made.

“It’s going to be how all of those metrics tie in to get you insight in terms of what plays to run in real time,” Caldwell said. “Who should shoot in real time. Whether or not to pass based on what play you’re running and what position is in in that play in real-time. It’ll funnel all that stuff together.”

On Dec. 6 FastModel Sports will be hosting a webinar on the current state of wearable technology. FastModel’s Zacharias Kennedy and Coach and Athletic Director’s Kevin Hoffman will discuss products currently on the market. Click here to learn how the latest wearable technologies can improve a basketball program.